Thai Tales: Taking Computers to Schools

GNU/Linux is helping take the benefits of computing to schools in Thailand, as Frederick Noronha finds out.

Computers for schools and web sites for
students. That's the dream of an ambitious project being promoted
in Thailand, known as SchoolNet. This project has notched up some
impressive figures (some 4300 schools connected to SchoolNet, with
some 1500 having their own web sites).

But that's only part of the story. How it worked its way to
achieving its goal, including taking some bold steps like using the
GNU/Linux free operating system to back up its plans, makes this
project stand out from other ventures aimed at taking computers to
schools.

SchoolNet Thailand was launched by Bangkok's National
Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (NECTEC) in 1995. Its
goal: providing universal access to teachers and students. "Or,
more specifically, schools all over the country can access the
network via a dial-up modem, using access number 1509, and pay only
three baht [about $.07 US] per call," says its promoters.

It all started around 1995, initially just taking a
piggyback-ride on the country's university network. "In the
beginning, we just called in 50 leading schools, where they
understood that having access to the Internet would be beneficial.
We offered schools training that would allow them to start off with
an Internet server," recalls Dr Thaweesak Koanantakool of
Thailand.

Dr Koanantakool, the US-educated director of the
Bangkok-based National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre,
told this writer that most of the schools initially chosen were
located in his country's capital. In its first year, SchoolNet got
20 schools connected.

"When news spread out, schools outside Bangkok said they
wanted to use it. But they couldn't afford even a week's cost of
the telephone line. So we asked them to work with a university
close by their schools. But that was not convenient. In 1998, we
introduced (the King's) Golden Jubilee Network, for the citizen to
access an Intranet within Thailand for a year, without charge," he
adds.

Soon, this was scaled up to 1500, the maximum capacity of the
access infrastructure, in 1999. That year, the Cabinet okayed
expanding to 5000 schools. Under this plan, all secondary
schools--except those without electricity or telephone lines--and
over 1000 primary schools too, will have access to the
Internet.

Currently, there are some 4300 schools that are connected to
SchoolNet, with approximately 1500 having their own web
sites.

Why SchoolNet?

The idea is that Internet access for schools throughout
Thailand will mean that IT, and the Internet, could help create
more equal opportunities in education. This could lead to boosting
the educational standards of the country.

But after the network infrastructure was successfully
launched, it was found that the Internet was still hardly being
used as a tool for education and learning in many schools. So, the
programme's scope was extended to cover content and human resource
development. The latter meant training of teachers and
trainers.

Project authorities were "not happy with the way teachers and
children made limited use of computers". So they decided to try and
introduce more Thai-language content in the schools.

Around the same time, Thailand also created a digital-library
toolkit. This allows teachers to get on their work after undergoing
a short training--say of two hours or so. After this, the teachers
can put up their own web site or teaching material on the
web.

"Once it's on the Web, anyone can access it. Teachers can
mark themselves as the authors, and we will protect the content for
them, so that they always own it. But the content can be used and
reused by anyone (for educational purposes)," says he. Today, there
are hundreds of teachers using this, resulting in thousands of web
pages being generated.

"Ultimately, our aim is that every school can create new
knowledge from existing ones, or what we called the Complete
Knowledge Cycle," says Dr Koanantakool.

"We allowed every school to use this nationwide network. We
pay for Internet connection and internal bandwidth. We managed to
provide for a capacity of 1500 schools in all. It's a sort of free
ISP, but limited to schools," says Dr Koanantakool.

What Has Their Experience Been?

It varies a great deal. Some 10 to 15 schools proved to be
very good. These institutions provided great teachers who created
content and activity for their students. Soon, some of these
teachers were awarded at SchoolNet Day functions, so that they
could act as role-models for teachers.

A couple of years back, the project got their budget expanded
to cater to some 5000 schools. Each school is allotted 400 hours of
connect time. Capacities vary. Some small schools have just a
single PC, large educational institutions have 400 to 500, says Dr
Koanantakool.

Old PCs that "barely run Windows" but allow for TCP/IP
connections to work fine. "Even an old 486 could be used as a
server, because the line-speed is slower than the CPU anyway. Many
schools, which have a greater number of computers, run really great
data centres," says Dr Koanantakool.

Some teachers however remain "afraid" of computers. But, good
schools know how to put even just a couple of computers in the
library, then bookmark examples of good sites, and let students use
the PC to search for information for their projects.

Along the way, Thai computer scientists developed an
easy-to-administer web-controlled GNU/Linux-based schools Internet
server, he told this correspondent during a recent UNDP/APDIP
workshop on using ICTs for development, held in the Malaysian
capital of Kuala Lumpur.

SchoolNet has developed a Linux School Internet Server (Linux
SIS) to be promoted and distributed to schools "as a cheaper
alternative to using an expensive server software".

Since its introduction, Linux-SIS has been very popular in
Thailand. Project implementors say this has been due to its
"excellent documentation in the Thai language, its
simple-to-install CD-ROM and web-based server management" that
allow one to manage it without the need to know any UNIX commands.
"SIS training courses are always in constant demand from schools
looking for a reliable internet server at the lowest cost," says Dr
Koanantakool, who is director of Bangkok's electronics and
computing centre NECTEC. (More info on the Linux-SIS at
www.nectec.or.th/linux-sis/

"Initially we used Windows NT on a straightforward PC. Then
we developed the Linux schools internet server. We now have our own
software, running GNU/Linux, which is managed via the Web, using
the Thai language. That means, to run it the user hardly need to
know anything of UNIX. This runs on just a PC. Compared to it, we
could not afford a Sun Microsystem box and router for each school,
for example," says Koanantakool.

GNU/Linux and a simple PC allows the schools to run an FTP
server and "virtually everything out of one box". Says he: "It's
far cheaper too. You just get a modem, and put on Linux. Even an
old PC can replace a router."

"We started working first with the server side (using
GNU/Linux) since the desktop is more difficult. One barrier was
that almost nobody knows UNIX commands (among school teachers in
Thailand). So we wrote out a web-based simple administration
system. This means, any school can run this after a very little
training. There's hardly any need to talk to the GNU/Linux console
(the terminal that requires difficult and initially complex
commands). But, using the Web, one can delete files and carry out
other commands routinely needed," he adds.

Koanantakool says the Thai language web-administration tool
became "some kind of a breakthrough" that helped teachers to run a
school network at the lowest cost. In addition, the Thai-language
extension of the project started last year. Version 4.1 was
released in March 2002.

"When you boot the machine, it comes to a point that makes it
seem like a user-friendly version of Windows. Many Thai computer
companies are eager to pre-load the Version 4.1 onto their
computers, because they're afraid of anti-piracy campaigns. Since
February, the Thai Language Extension (which calls itself Thalay,
meaning ocean in the Thai language) has been making it to the
headlines. Almost on a day to day basis," says a proud Dr
Koanantakool with a smile.

Incidentally, a Thai junior encyclopedia has also been
brought out, in both CD-ROM and Net versions. This involves
cultural data collecting, the use of computers and software among
cultural centre network groups in that country. "If left alone in a
cyberspace dominated by English content, the language barrier will
discourage most teachers and students from using the Internet," as
the project promoters realise.'

GLOBE is an activity that allows teachers and students in
SchoolNet@1509 (the four-digit number is used to access this
network) to collaborate with their counterparts across the
globe.

Schools take part in the Internet-based global education
programme called
ThinkQuest. This
provides a highly motivating opportunity for students and educators
to work collaboratively in teams, and learn as they create material
while sharing with one another. This challenges young learners to
create high quality, innovative and content-rich web sites.

One of the schools--Sri Wittaya Paknam--has a site that draws
a hit rate higher than that of the Tourism Authority of Thailand,
says Koanantakool, with a hard-to-hide smile. The teacher uses this
site to teach English through the Web.

Say the project promoters, cautiously: "There is no guarantee
whether SchoolNet Thailand will succeed in the long run. However,
it is undeniable that this project has already made a significant
impact on many schools in Thailand."

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